Merck & Company, Inc. ( MRK ) stock is trading higher on Thursday after the company announced it completed negotiations with the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance.

What To Know: The company completed negotiations in regards to WELIREG. These negations move WELIREG closer to public reimbursement in Canada.

The pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance negotiates drug prices on behalf of federal drug programs, provinces, and territories. The next step is for the relevant Canadian governments and federal drug programs to implement reimbursement in their jurisdictions.

How To Buy Merck & Company Shares

By now you're likely curious about how to participate in the market for Merck & Co ( MRK ) – be it to purchase shares, or even attempt to bet against the company.

Buying shares is typically done through a brokerage account. You can find a list of possible trading platforms here. Many will allow you to buy ‘fractional shares,' which allows you to own portions of stock without buying an entire share. For example, some stock, like Berkshire Hathaway, can cost thousands of dollars to own just one share. However, if you only want to invest a fraction of that, brokerages will allow you to do so.

In the the case of Merck & Co ( MRK ) , which is trading at $119.46 as of publishing time, $100 would buy you 0.84 shares of stock.

If you're looking to bet against a company, the process is more complex. You'll need access to an options trading platform, or a broker who will allow you to ‘go short' a share of stock by lending you the shares to sell. The process of shorting a stock can be found at this resource. Otherwise, if your broker allows you to trade options, you can either buy a put option, or sell a call option at a strike price above where shares are currently trading – either way it allows you to profit off of the share price decline.

Related Link: Why Is Modular Medical Stock Up Today?

MRK Price Action: At the time of writing, Merck & Company ( MRK ) shares are moving 3.16% higher at $119.46 per data from Benzinga Pro.

Image: Courtesy of Merck ( MRK )